The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-06-23
The Trailing Arbutus.-

A good specimen of trailing arbutus
is one of the loveliest objects of ma
ture. The blossoms are tube-shaped,
with mouths like five-pointed star,
deepening in hue from a pearly white
to a rose pink. They are exceedingly
fragrant, which would be enough to
disprove the common assertion that
our wild flowers are not sweet
scented. The leaves are broad, oval,
and evergreen, and the woody stems
creep over the ground. The trailing
arbutus generally blooms on wooded
hillsides, under the laurel bushes.
With the laurel, azaleas, and rhodod-
endron, it belongs to the great heath
family, characterized by brilliant flow
ers and broad, evergreen leaves.
The "epig9a repens," as the plant
is scientifically called, is. a native OF
North America, and is found along
the Allegheny mountains and eastward
from Canada to Tennessee. So far as
known it has never been found else
where, and it has always steadily re-
sisted cultivation. 1t was first dis
covered by the Pilgrims in Massachu-
setts, who named it the Mayfower,
not, as some suppose, because it
blooms in May, but after the ship
which had brought them to this coun-
try. In some localities the flower may
be found in May, but, generally speak
ing, it belongs to March and April.
A slight difference may be noticed in
specimens, according to the locality
in which found, the difference consist
ing principally in the size and tint of
the flower. In some places it is small
and pale, particularly as one goes far
ther north, though this does not al
ways follow. By general consent the
finest known grows in the neighbOr-
hood of Philadelphia, especially ON the
hills near the Schuylkill and in the
New Jersey pine barrens. The Wiss-
ahickon, Mill creek, and the valley
hills are noted localities. The arbutus
blossom, with which Philadelphians
are most familiar, is often as large
around as An old-fashioned Scent
piece, with a pink tint as deep as
that of a peach blossom or clover.
What would they think of a little
flower no bigger than a chickweed-
star, so pale as to be almost white,
| such as is found in some places?
When a native flower gets into the
hands of the florist it is almost sure to
Dc SHOllcu. 4hC AatCSb iAhONdIh 40 a
mass of trailing arbutus mingled with
maidenhair fern. This is. altogether
wrong. The florists maidenhair is a
foreign plant. Our native maiden
hair, which is just as beautiful, does
not appear until midsummer, long
after the trailing arbutus has gone.
This latter should never be arranged
with anything but its own green
leaves, or with the evergreen fern,
partridge vine, OF club moss, which
are always found at the same time or
places in which the arbutus blooms.
No other flower of any kind whatever
should be placed with 1.-THE arbutus
is beautiful enough in itself, in its own
way precious as pearls. Place another
flower with it and its own delicate,
unique beauty is sure to suffer. True.
the partridge vine sometimes bears a
red berry. 1t is allowable to use this
in a loose decoration in which the
trailing arbutus enters, provided plen-
ty of dark, glossy green, be made to
separate the red and pink.-Philadel-
! phid Times.